Let’s Talk About Thor in Avengers: Endgame

Why has the depiction of Thor in Avengers: Endgame divided fans? We unpack the character’s arc in the film.

Warning. Spoilers ahead.

Thor has had quite the arc in the Marvel Cinematic Universe but fans are questioning if certain story decisions for the character in Avengers: Endgame truly did him, and the people watching, justice. There are several strong moments in the film that should be applauded, but some of Thor’s treatment felt insulting, if not injurious, to fans.

We look at Thor’s growth in the MCU, what Avengers: Endgame got right, and what it got wrong. Once again, there are spoilers ahead for Avengers: Endgame.

Thor’s MCU History

When Thor was serious. Source: CNN

Thor began his on-screen life in 2011’s Thor, a film most had little hope for, especially since he was up against fellow iconic Avenger, Captain America. The eccentric and fantasy-driven Thor certainly had stiff competition when the patriotic and more down-to-earth Captain America: The First Avenger was released only months later. And the battle had only just begun. Thor’s sequel, Thor: The Dark World, was universally regarded as one of the weakest entries in the MCU, whereas Cap’s follow-up film, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, is lauded as one of the strongest.

But all that changed with the final film in both trilogies. While
Captain America: Civil War paved the way for the end of the Avengers, Thor:
Ragnarok set up Thor, Loki, Valkyrie, and crew as the funniest, and most
enjoyable, of the Avengers, even surpassing Guardians of the Galaxy in
the humour scale. Against the dark and depressing Civil War, Ragnarok
was a breath of fresh air that revitalised the MCU.

The Turning Point

When the fun began. Source: Looper

More importantly, Ragnarok finally showed audiences that Thor was meant to be taken seriously. Ironic, considering when he was serious, not many seemed interested in him. Taika Waititi’s Ragnarok managed to cement Thor as an amusing, yet charming, hero with flaws and strengths that made him relatable and inspiring. Avengers: Infinity War managed to continue the trend despite Thor suffering several bereavements in the opening scene of the film. Thor not only had some of the most iconic moments in Infinity War, he was also poised to be the saviour of the day.

That didn’t quite work out.

Which is why his arc in Avengers: Endgame has left
fans in a quandary. Because, after all the work done building Thor into a
loveable but strong character, he became the butt of the joke in Endgame
in the cruelest of ways.

PTSD and the Hero

Didn’t realise how sad he was. Source: Pajiba

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, despite being a widespread
condition among people, was once barely addressed in films. But the MCU
surprisingly acknowledged it with Iron Man 3, basing much of Tony Stark’s
characterisation and motivation around his untreated PTSD from his near-death
experience in The Avengers.

Many wondered how the aftermath of Avengers: Infinity War,
which saw Thanos turn half the population of the universe to dust, would impact
the heroes, particularly Thor, who had been best positioned to stop Thanos.

As many will remember, Thor, wielding a new and deadly
weapon, Stormbreaker, turned the tide of the Battle of Wakanda, before facing
Thanos directly. Thor struck Thanos in the chest, and did some damage, but
Thanos was still conscious enough to snap his fingers and destroy half the
universe, including several well-loved heroes.

Thor’s Guilt in Avengers: Endgame

Thor and Stormbreaker couldn’t take down Thanos. Source: Nerdist

In Avengers: Endgame, viewers saw how the now-infamous meme-able line – “You should have gone for the head”- actually played heavily on Thor’s mind. When the remaining Avengers confront Thanos after Tony Stark’s return to Earth, they learn that Thanos has used the Infinity Gauntlet one more time to destroy the stones, and almost killed himself in the process. The knowledge that the stones are gone, taking any hope of saving the Fallen, proves too much for Thor.

In a moment uncharacteristically violent for Marvel and Disney, Thor decapitates the unarmed Thanos. It is not until this moment that the audience realise how guilty Thor has been feeling, and it proves to be one of the most powerful, and distressing, scenes in Avengers: Endgame.

Five Years Later

PTSD does not disappear in a hurry and Avengers: Endgame
attempts to showcase how devastating the effects of this illness can be. Five years
after Thanos’ death, the Avengers have a new plan to save the Fallen, but they
need Thor. Rocket Raccoon and Hulk are tasked with recruiting the now-elusive Thor,
as they had grown closest to him over the past two films.

However, the Thor they meet is a shadow of his former self. He rules New Asgard only in name, while Valkyrie does the heavy lifting. Thor hides out in his home with Korg and Miek, playing Fortnite, and drinking gallons of beer. He has also put on a great deal of weight. These are understandable reactions to PTSD and it is good to see Avengers: Endgame address it. But then things go downhill from there.

What Went Wrong in Avengers: Endgame

So much went wrong. Source: Polygon

Thor Actor Chris Hemsworth is extremely muscular (he even
has his own fitness app), and thus had to wear a fatsuit to show Thor’s new
physique. The fatsuit is, in and of itself, deeply problematic. Fatsuits give audiences
the illusion that they are watching someone from a particular community, while being
reassured that the actor isn’t nearly as ‘disgusting’ as they appear on screen.
In essence, actors in fatsuits get to portray people who look a certain way
without acknowledging their actual lived experience. They also take away the
livelihood of actual fat people.

If that isn’t distressing enough, the near-constant jabs at Thor’s weight make Avengers: Endgame practically unwatchable. Everyone from Rocket Raccoon, Tony Stark, and even Thor’s mother, Frigga, make snide remarks or try to give him ‘helpful’ advice on how to get fit. What’s worse is, none of the characters verbally attacking Thor about his weight – it’s only his weight that anyone has complaints about, not his dereliction of his royal duties – are ever taken to task for it.

So, essentially, the text of the film reinforces that Thor being fat gives characters and the audience carte blanche to laugh at him and insult him. In fact, many people have reported that audience members did laugh whenever Thor’s new silhouette was on screen.

Plus, not a single person tries to help Thor deal with his PTSD.
Disturbingly, when Thor becomes overwhelmed while time travelling, and bursts
into tears from remembering everyone he’s lost, Rocket actually slaps him. Because,
that’s what someone suffering mental illness needs, a tight slap, not comfort?

The Final Battle

Quill could sympathise. Source: Pajiba

Had Thor not been able to participate in the final battle in
Avengers: Endgame, it would have added insult to injury. Fortunately, Marvel
decided to go down another route, not only returning Mjolnir to Thor, but giving
him crucial fight scenes against Thanos. Also, when Thor activated his
abilities, he didn’t suddenly become svelte, a trope that occurs far too often
in entertainment media. This essentially makes Thor the first fat superhero in
the MCU, a fact that is cancelled because the actor himself does not represent
the community.

Many fans enjoyed this new characterisation of Thor, and though the acknowledgement of PTSD is vital in blockbuster films, the constant fat-shaming of the character, and the depiction of a fat character as comic relief, is deeply painful to watch, and downright offensive for viewers from the that community.

The fat shaming of Peter Quill in Avengers: Infinity War
felt out of place, but Avengers: Endgame took it to a whole new level
that distracted from the story and ended up alienating the very audience it was
hoping to attract. That is something that cannot be easily rectified and threatens
to make Avengers: Endgame nigh-unwatchable in the future. Plus-sized
characters, especially women, are so rarely represented positively on screen, and
characterisations like this only do more harm to real people.

Though some are defending the characterisation of this film, most fat activists are taking Avengers: Endgame to task, and rightly so. The entertainment industry needs to change how it depicts body positivity, and it needs to do so now.

The MCU having a fat character should have been a step forward for body positivity and representation. Instead, Thor is buried in stereotypes and tropes and that is what makes it problematic.

A writer at heart with a fondness for well-told stories, Louis Skye is always looking for a way to escape the planet, whether through comic books, films, television, books or video games. She always has an eye out for the subversive and champions diversity in media.